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BIG PHYSICS, BIG QUESTIONS –

60 Seconds

Fate of the Canaanites

DNA extracted from five skeletons buried 3700 years ago in what is now Lebanon confirms that the enigmatic Canaanite people live on. The area has seen waves of immigration throughout history, but people in Lebanon today still share 90 per cent of their DNA with the ancient skeletons (The American Journal of Human Genetics, doi.org/b93p).

The Greater Firewall

Apple has pulled nearly all major virtual private network (VPN) apps from its App Store in China, following a change in the law. China had passed regulations requiring official approval for VPNs, which can be used to circumvent technical barriers aimed at censoring the internet.

Chips in space

Breakthrough Starshot, the $100 million project to send tiny ships deep into space, has flown its first minisatellites. The craft, called Sprites, are each 3.5 centimetres square and carry a computer chip, solar panels, a magnetometer, a gyroscope and a radio transmitter. The ultimate aim is to send similar craft all the way to Alpha Centauri.

Jellyfish blooms

The Adriatic Sea is full of jellyfish – and numbers swelled as we began installing gas platforms in the water. The two events may be linked: a computer model suggests the platforms aid jellyfish dispersal and survival, by providing surfaces on which the juvenile polyps can attach (Environmental Research Letters, doi.org/b95t).

Chronic fatigue clues

The severity of chronic fatigue syndrome is linked to a set of 17 inflammation chemicals: their levels in the blood are higher in people with more severe forms of the condition (PNAS, doi.org/b96p). The finding could lead to diagnostic tests for the syndrome, as well as giving clues to new treatments.